Adjustable front sight for small arms



Aug. 10, 1948.v G. A. wlLsoN 2,446,970

ADJUSTABLE FRONT SIGHT FOR SMALL ARMS Filed Jan. 11, 1945 /fwfa/ro@ l GEORGE A. W1 LsoN 4r role/MVS.

Patented ug. l0, i948 *JCCM blt HUUIW ADJUSTABLE FRONT SIGHT FOR SMALL ARMS George A. Wilson, Hamden, Conn., assignor to The High Standard Manufacturing Corporation, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 11, 1945, Serial No. 572,321

4 Claims. l

The present invention relates to improvements in front-sights and relates more particularly to improvements in adjustable front-sights primarily designed for use on so-called automatic pistols and self-loading riiles, though available for use on other types of small-arms.

As will appear from the following, the adjustable front-sight of the present invention is designed to withstand the shocks and vibration incident to the firing of the firearm upon which it may be mounted. Such shocks and vibration impose severe strains upon the locking and adjusting means of an adjustable-sight, often resulting in the loosening and misalignment of the sight. This tendency of adjustable-sights to shoot loose is particularly present -in automatic pistols, owing to the relatively-slight mass of the pistol and the relative violence yof their slideor bolt-actions.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior adjustable front-sight for small-arms in which adjustments may be quickly and accurately made, combined with stability of a given adjustment after the same has been made.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable front-sight with superior locking-means for the adjustable sight-element, and constructed and arranged so as to hold such element securely positioned, despite shocks and vibration incident to the firing of the weapon over protracted periods of time.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior adjustable front-sight for small-arms which will combine sensitivity of adjustment and positiveness in its retention in an adjusted position, combined with simplicity, ruggedness of construction, ease of manufacture, and low cost.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of one form of adjustable front-sight embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a View thereof looking toward the iront end of the sight;

Fig. 3 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a View in central-longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 but with the sight-blade and adjusting-screw in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sight-blade, detached;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a similar view taken on the line 'I-'I of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. 3.

The particular adjustable front-sight herein chosen for purposes of illustrating one form which the present invention may assume, includes a sight-body I0, a sight-blade II, an adjusting-screw I2, a sight-blade pivot-pin I3, and a clamping-screw I4.

The sight-body I0 above referred to is of oblong rectangular form when viewed from above, and is formed with an upwardly-opening centrallongitudinal blade-receiving groove or recess I5 which intersects the rear-end of the sight-body Ill and which has its bottom-wall curved upwardly at its front-end into intersecting relationship with the top-wall of the said sight-body adjacent the forward end thereof. The formation of the groove I5 just referred to, virtually divides the upper portion of the sight-body I0 throughout its length and results in the formation of two complemental side-walls IGa and. IBb.

The sight-body I0 in the form of the present invention herein shown, is formed with an integral depending mounting-lug I1 which is adapted to enter into keying-relationship with a suitable groove formed in the upper forward portion of the barrel yof a rearm with which it is -desired to employ the adjustable front-sight of the present invention. The said mounting-lug I1 may be permanently secured to the barrel of a firearm by means of solder, brazing or the like, in a manner well known in the art. The mode of attachment of the sight-body to a firearm-barrel may vary widely and, in itself, forms no novel feature of the present invention.

The forward portion of the sight-body I0 is formed midway of its width with a vertical bore I8 which receives the adjusting-screw I2 before referred to. The lower portion of the vertical bore I8 is threaded to be threadedly engaged by the threaded lower portion of the said adjustingscrew I 2, while the upper portion of the said bore is unthreaded and dimensioned to freely receive the head of the adjusting-screw I2, as is especially well shown in Figs. 4 and 8.

Intermediate the under-face of its head and its lower threaded portion, the adjusting-screw I2 the sight-body IIJ by means of the transverse pivot-pin I3 which extends transversely through.

the said sight-blade at a point slightly forwardly of midway of its length, and also through the respective side-walls I6a and IBb of the sight-body The clamping-screw I4 before referred to, extends transversely through the side-walls I6a and I6b of the sight-body Ill adjacent the rear end thereof, and has its head countersunk into the outer face of the side-wall IIb and has its shank threaded into the complemental side-wall IGa.

. The shank of the said clamping-screw I4 passes through a vertically-elongated clearance-slot 2| formed in the sight-blade II adjacent the rear end thereof, as is especially well shown in. Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

At its rear end, the sight-blade II is formed on its respective opposite sides with one of two `integral vertical ribs 22a and 221) which serve to slightly broaden the rear face of the sightblade II.

Normally, the clamping-screw I4 is tightened sofas to draw the respective opposite side-walls I6a and Ib toward each other to the slight degree necessary to firmly clamp the sight-blade I I between them.

When it is desired to vertically adjust the sight-blade II with respect to the sight-body Ill, so as to change the elevation of the upper rearvcorner of the said sight-blade, the clampingscrew I4 may be loosened, whereupon the adjusting-screw I2 may be turned. The turning of the adjusting-screw I2 will, through the intermediary of its annular groove I 9 and the adjusting-linger 20 of the sight-blade II, rock the said sight-blade about the pivot-pin I3 as an axis, to thus effect the desired change in the position of the'upper rear-corner of the said sight-blade.

The adjusting-finger 20 of the sight-blade II has a vertical dimension such as to snugly t the annular groove I9 in the adjusting-screw I 2, though permitting the free rotation of the said adjusting-screw.

` After the desired adjustment of the sight-blade II has been effected in the manner above described, the said sight-blade may be tightly clamped in its newly-adjusted position by tightening-up the clamping-screw I4 and thereby causing the same to draw the respective opposite side-walls IBa and Ib into tight clamping-engagement with the respective opposite sides of the sight-blade I I. l

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the respective axes of the adjusting-screw I2 and the clamping-screw I4 are arranged transversely with respect to the direction of the chief shocks to which the structure will be subjected when mounted upon a firearm. Furthermore, it will be noted that the adjusting-screw I2 may be conveniently utilized to rock the sight-blade II about the pivot-pin I3 to bring it into the precise position desired, preparatory to clamping or locking the said sight-blade in the position chosen for it. The provision of the clamping-screw I4 in conjunction with the adjusting-screw I2, provides a sight which may be readily and accurately adjusted and still be firmly locked in position.

The invention may be carried out in other specic ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and thepresent embodiments are, therefore,.to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and

all changes coming Within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embracedtherein.

I claim:

1. An adjustable front-sight for small-arms, including in combination: a sight-body having a longitudinal recess therein; a sight-blade movably mounted in the recess in the said sight-body;

- pivot-means carried by the said sight-body and constructed and arranged to provide for the swinging movement of the said sight-blade intermediate its front and rear ends about a substantially-horizontal axis transverse to the sightblade; a substantially-vertical adjusting-screw carried by the said sight-body and operatively connected to the said sight-blade adjacent one end thereof to turn the same about the said pivot-means; and releasable clamping-means including a clamping-screw extending in `substantial parallelism with they said pivot-means but located adjacent the opposite end of the sightbody from the said substantially-vertical adjusting-screw and constructed and arranged to clamp the said sight-blade to the said sight-body;

2. An adjustable front-sight for small-arms, including in combination: a sight-body having-a longitudinal recess flanked on each of its Vrespective opposite-side by one of twofvertical wallportions, at least one of the said wall-portions being yieldable toward the other; afsight-blade movably mounted in the recess in the said sightbody; pivot-means carried by the said sight-body and constructed and arranged-to provide for the swinging vmovement of the said sight-bladeintermediate its front and rear ends 4about asubstantially-horizontal axis transverse to the sightblade; a substantially-vertical adjusting-screw carried by the said sight-body and operativelyconnected to the said sight-blade adjacent'one end thereof to turn the same about the said pivot-means; and clamping-means Vextending between the respective opposite wall-portions of the sight-body and constructed and arranged .to4 draw one thereof toward the other to clamp the said sight-blade between the two said wallportions.

3. An adjustable front-sight for small-arms, including in combination: a sight-bodyhaving an upwardly-opening longitudinal groove therein flanked on each of its respective opposite 'sides by one of two vertical wall-portions, at leastone of the said wall-portionsr being yieldable toward the other; a sight-blade movably mounted inthe longitudinal groove in the said sight-bodyl and provided adjacent one end with a longitudinallyprojecting adjusting-linger; a substantially-vertical adjusting-screw threaded into the said sight-body and formed with an annular groove receiving the adjusting-finger of the said sightblade; and clamping-means extendingbetween the respective opposite wall-portions of the' said sight-body and constructed and arranged -to draw one thereof toward the other to xclamp the said sight-blade between the two said wall-portions. l-:.`-'

4. An adjustable front-sight forfsmall-arms, including in combination: a sight-bodyhaving an upwardly-opening longitudinal groove therein flanked on each of its respective opposite sides by one of two vertical wall-portions, at least one of the said wall-portions being yieldable toward the other; a sight-blade movably mounted in the longitudinal groove in the said sight-body and provided adjacent one end with a longitudinallyprojecting adjusting-inger, the said sight-blade being formed adjacent its end opposite the said adjusting-nger with a transverse clearanceopening; a substantially-vertical adjustingscrew threaded into the said sight-body and formed with an annular groove receiving the adjusting-inger of the said sight-blade; and a substantially-horizontal clamping-screw extending through the clearance-opening in the said sightblade and extending between the two said ver- Y tical wall-portions of the sight-body and threaded into one thereof to contract the lateral dimension of the longitudinal groove in the said sightbody to thereby clamp the said sight-blade in 10 place between the two said wall-portions.

GEO. A. WILSON. 

